Let’s have a party!

I recently hosted a kitchen product party. I know, at my advanced age, having one of these parties seems kind of out of character. I have not hosted any type of “buying” party for more years than I can remember. I tend to shy away from having or attending gatherings where the main motivation is for me to spend my money. Anyway, my daughter and a friend of hers (the brand consultant) talked me into having the party.

Surprisingly, it was more fun that I imagined. I invited my friends from the golf course, some girls I work with and also my sister-in-law. Of course not everyone invited came, but the group that did had a great time. The consultant provided the food (which she made as her pitch for the products) and also a specialty drink. My friends and I were so busy talking to each other and sampling both food and drink that, I am sure, we missed the really great parts of her cooking demonstrations.

It was interesting to watch a group of mostly older women learning new tricks in the kitchen. The majority of us have been around for more years than we would like to admit, but new gadgets are always fun no matter what your age. Kitchen scissors that will cut chicken bones (there must be some reason to need that), skinny rubber (or rather silicone) scrapers that can reach inside small bottles, a strainer to fit over a can to drain juice, and a herb infuser were just a few of the wonderments we saw. How did we get along for all these years without one? As my almost 4-year-old grandson would say, “I just don’t know.”

My daughter, also in attendance, wanted to know if she could have another bridal shower because she now knows after eight years and two children what she really needs in the kitchen. We all chuckled with her about that. One of my friends cannot live without the hamburger browner, chopper thing she had previously purchased. She said it is the best thing she has ever owned. We all grinned about that too, as we wrote it on our order sheet. Another friend, the proud owner of a mango wedger, does not know how she survived without this great product. If you like mangoes, you have to have one, she said. I haven’t checked to see how many mango wedgers were ordered that night. I am sure more than one.

These kitchen utensils and gadgets brought us together for the evening and kept us together, enjoying everyone’s company for more than three hours. All of us probably have more kitchen “stuff” than we can ever use, but a new garlic press or a new ice cream scoop will make our time in the kitchen a new adventure for a while.

But perhaps this is the most important thing ... The laughter that we, as friends and family, shared that night, will last far longer. Sometimes we get out of the habit of having friends or family at our house — I have made that mistake. Having a party, any kind of party, makes your home a happier place.

This party made my smile a little brighter for days. My new kitchen gadgets have all arrived now, and they are terrific, especially the hamburger browner, chopper thing — it’s truly a wonder.